U.S. District Court for the NMI Designated Judge Frances Marie Tydingco Gatewood set for June 29 the sentencing hearing of Arriola, 42.
The lawyer appeared under the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and was represented by attorney Steven Pixley.
For conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Arriola is facing a maximum jail term of five years and $250,000 fine while the charge of committing wire fraud mandates 20 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Schuler, said then-Rita Kaipat estate administrator Luis Kaipat Pelisamen hired Arriola as the attorney for the estate.
They hatched and executed an agreement to move funds through multiple checks, Schuler said.
“In a nutshell…I as the attorney [for the Kaipat estate] allowed the unauthorized removal of certain funds [from the estate],” Arriola told the court.
Pelisamen is already serving his five-year imprisonment. The court also ordered him to pay over $600,000 in restitution to the estate.
Arriola has been incarcerated at the Department of Corrections facility since his arrival on Saipan in Nov. 2009.
Arriola was arrested and held in custody by Philippine authorities after his arrest in June 2009 before he was extradited to Saipan.
